Sleeper Hits
A few days back Utkarsh and I were discussing the slow growth of our new series Lambu Aur Baba ki Katha and turns out he is more optimistic than I am. When we do an episode, we do it with sincere dedication. There are several takes and rehearsals that go into making an episode. That's not it. We (read I) go an extra mile to keep it raw and look like we're amateurs. Something that Utkarsh doesn't love much. My point of view is to create an episode that looks like 2 friends having a conversation in a room. It needs to be in the same place, with the same background, every time. Consistent. Utkarsh however thinks we need to have better setups. Nevertheless the lack of funds, technical expertise and of course time has made him come around. That being said, the videos are not getting picked up whether it's my vision or his, even though we brought a freaking Harley Davidson in our video.
We did not hope for it to be an overnight success but we certainly did not hope for it to have only 100 views in each of 4 episodes. But the theory Utkarsh presented to me is quite interesting. He called the series a possible Sleeper hit. Before you start telling me that it's a term reserved for movies and Music albums, let me tell you one thing, I live in a Free Country and I can use any word as I please. So yeah, our show is a possible sleeper hit, which means that not on the launch but it will catch on much later and become a Cult Classic much like Ed Wood movies or Catch 22. Mera Naam Joker would be a good example for an Indian Sleeper Hit. I want his prediction to be true because let's face it, I want an out from IT industry and if my YouTube Channel doesn't catch up, I have to go back to IT. I dread going back.
There you are. My human instincts have me worried now about my life. 27 years of upbringing into a world of monotonous life can take its toll. I remain positive, I enjoy life as it comes, but sometimes just sometimes I sit in a corner wondering, what is my future? These are the times when we need friends like Utkarsh. Given that he just brainstorms ideas and shoots the video with me while I do the editing, post production, the uploading, the annotations, the cards, and everything else on YouTube. But, he motivates me. And again, before all of you go "Hey Naimish, we motivate you too, we support you as well", I know this. I appreciate all the support and love I get. But, the point here is that I live in his house. So it makes a difference when your best friend is also your roommate, your co-star and your daily motivation. You got it!
Sleeper Hit or not, it's always fun to shoot videos for my channel. It keeps me lively to be honest. I walk down the street hoping someone would recognise me from my videos but that's not going to happen any time soon. Am I sad about it? No. Am I worried? No. The reason why it doesn't affect me is that whether people watch my videos or not, they are going to be watched by my future generations to come. I am leaving a video legacy for my own and my extended family. Hopefully they become superstars one day learning from their Daddy or uncle. But family is a topic for another day. For now, let's all sit down, meditate, and pray my videos go to sleep so they can be a sleeping hit. No, wait. It's sleeper hit right. Okay. Bye.
-Naimish Sanghvi
cover pic: TheSleeperHit.com